Hanger-board for arc laivlps



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. J. J. WOOD.

HANGER BOARD FOR ARC LAMPS.

No. 398,870. Patented Mar, 5, 1889.7

W/T/YESSES //VVE/YTOP N. PETERS. Pholmbilmgmpher, \Vaihmglon, n. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J. WOOD.

HANGER BOARD FOR ARC LAMPS. No. 398,870. Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT JAMES J. WOOD, OF BROOKLYX, NElV YORK.

HANGER-BOARD FOR ARC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,870, dated March 5, 1889.

Application filed December 14, 1887. Serial No. 257,867. (No model.

To all 1072 0712, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. \VOOD, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements l l l These boards are usuline-wire connects, and with polar suspension hooks or loops, to which the poles of thelamps connect, and from which the lamp hangs, with a compound switch arranged to make one con- I nection between the binding-posts and the l polar hooks and another connection directly between the posts themselves.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 presents a perspective View of my improved hangerboard adapted for street or outdoor lamps. Fig. 2 is a small perspective view of alamp hung from. the hanger-board, showing the manner of engagement with the improved polar suspension-loops, the other features of the board being omitted. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on a; a; of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a plan View of a somewhat modified form of hangerboard adapted for indoor uses, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section thereof, and Fig. 6 a detail. Fig. '7 is a sectional plan of another form of hangerboard for indoor use, in which a similar form of switch is used, but the polar suspension hooks or loops are omitted. Fig. 8 is a crosssection of Fig. 7 on 0 o, and Fig. 9 is a crosssection on y y.

I will first describe the leading form of my invention. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and In these views, a indicates a base-board, preferably of well-seasoned wood and of oblong form, with corners cut off, and adapted to fit into the top of the hood or reflector used in street-lamps, the underside of which is fitboard, as shown. At the center of this board is a hatch or opening, 11, to permit the upward protrusion of the tubes which inclose the carbon-holders of the lamp, as seen in 2, and from the base-board on each side of this opening depend the polar suspension eyes, hooks, or loops 0 c, which form the terminals of the line on the board and connect with the poles of the lamp, or from which the lamp is hung. as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be seen that the lamp connects with the polar loops by means of metal hooks 11, fixed on the poles or binding-posts of the lamp, which thus hook into and hang from thepolar loops, as will be readily understood from Figs. 2 and 3, and thus connect the lamp with the line,as is now usual in suspending electric lamps.

On referring to Figs. l and 2. it may be observed that the loops 1 project from a metallic base-plate, P, which is screwed to the base board (I, and that a spring-tongue.f, secured at one end to the base-plate c, projects at the free end into each loop and n'esses toward or against the bight ol the loop, as well shown in Fig. l and in dotted lines in Fig. which spring forms one of the novel and advantageous features of my improvement. It will therefore be seen on reference to 1 and 2 that when the polar hooks (Z on the lamp are hooked into the loops the springs f will be raised and will press firmly on the hooks, holding them firmly in the loops.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and that the springs f are directed in opposite directions, and that the hooks d on the lamp are also turned in opposite directions, so that the lamp is therefore readily engaged with the loops and springs by first pressing the hooks on the lamp up against the springs until the springs are lifted, and then, by a partial rotation of the lamp, causing the hooks to slip into the loops under the springs, as seen in Fig. 2, and also partially in Fig. 5, thus hooking the lamp quickly and securely to the hangerboard. It may now be readily comprehended that the springs not only tend to hold the hooks down in firm engagement with the loops, and thus render the electrical contact positive and certain, but they also prevent the hooks from becoming raised or separated from the loops, and thus detached mechanited with the operative features of the hangercally by the swaying, shaking, or other movements of the lamp. The most important function of the springs, however, is to pre vent any electrical separation of the loops and hooks caused by movement or jar such as would cause an arc to form, and thus burn or destroy the connections or set fire to the board-a thing which is likely to occur with the ordinary open loops, in which the hooks 011 the lamp are liable to become separated unless actually looked down by wedges, as is often done to prevent such separations, but which trouble is obviated by my improvement.

Now in hangers for are lamps the polar loops are not of course connected directly to the line, but a switch is interposed between the loops and the line arranged to put the loops into and out of circuit, as occasion requires.

The switch which I employ is of somewhat novel construction, and is shown in different forms in Figs. 1 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 1, g g are the bindingposts on the base-board, in which the ends of the line-wires are received, as indicated by full lines, and on each binding-post is pivoted a metallic switch-bar, h h, which two bars project therefrom in parallel lines like two parallel links, and are mechanically connected at or about the middle by a transverse nonconducting cross-bar or link, i, as fully shown in Fig. 1. In the path of the outer end of these switch-bars h h are arranged three contact seats or clasps, k 71: the seat 1.: being attached directly to the base-plate of one of the polar loops, and hence in electrical connection with that loop, while the seat-clasp 7c is connected by a wire, j, with the base-plate of the other loop. The third seat-clasp, 75 is connected by a wire, I, with the line bindingpost g.

Now m indicates an operating-lever, preferably made of a thin stiff bar of flat steel or iron,.which projects loosely through a slot in the insulating-linki, and is pivoted thereto by the pivot-pin m, while the short arm of the lever projects through an opening in the base-board and engages a slot in an abuttingplate, 01, fixed to the base-board over said hole, while the long arm of the lever projects freely downward for manipulation, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Now on either side of the base-board, at opposite sides of the switch, are marked the words On and Off, to indicate the direction in which to shift the switch to turn the current on or off or put the lamp in or out of circuit, as usual. It will therefore be seen that when the switch is shifted to the off side, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the loops c 0 will be cut off from the line, and the line closed between the binding-posts g g, and the current will now flow from the line to the post g, and thence by wire Z to the seat-clasp 71: to the switch-bar h,and thence to post 9 to the other branch of the line, thus leaving the line uninterrupted at the hanger-board, while the lamp or its hangers c c are disconnected, or absolutely cut off from the line. If, however, the switch is shifted to the on side, as indicated by dotted lines, the current will now flow from the post g by switch-bar 71., seat 7;, and wire j to the loop 0 011 the left, thence through the lamp to the loop on .the right, and thence by the seat 7c and switch-bar It to the post g, and thence to the line, thus putting the lamp in circuit.-

hen it is desired to cut the lamp off the line, the switch will of course be shifted back into the first-described position, shown in full lines, and it will be noted 011 reference to Fig. 1 that in thus cutting the lamp out of circuit the switch will always close the connection between the posts g 9' before it breaks it with the hanger-loops c 0, so as to always keep the line intact whether the lamp is on or off. Thus on reference to Fig.1 it will be seen that the seat-clasps 7c and 7e are placed at such a distance from each other with reference to the width and movement of the switch-bar 7t that the said bar will always enter the clasp 7: before it leaves the clasp 7.", and thus always close the circuit between the line-posts before breaking it between the lamp-loops.

The hanger-board shown in l and 5 is of somewhat simpler construction, but not so strong as in Fig. 1, being adapted for lighter use or for indoor lamps. The same elements exist in substantially the same arrangement; but it will be noted that one of the switchbars, 77/, is prolonged to act as the operatinglever, and is provided with a non-conducting knob, h for manipulation. The connectinglink, between the switch-bars is partly a nonconduct-ing bar, 7', and partly a conductingbar, 0, having a prong adapted to engage with the seat or clasp 7& connected with the binding post g. The seat 70 connects to one of the loops 0 and the seat 7./ to the other loop, the same as before described. These seats are simply U-shaped clasps of springbrass, as seen in Fig. 6. It will therefore be seen that when the switch is slipped to the right, as in Fig. at, the line will be closed between the posts and the lamp out off, the current flowing from the post g by switch-bar h, connecting-bar 0, and seat 15* to the post g, while the connection is broken between the seats is L and switch-bars 72 It. To put the lamp into circuit, however, the switch is shifted in the opposite direction, when the bars h it will contact with the clasps 7; 7t, and the bar 0 will break contact with the seat 70 just after the contact is made with the seats k is, thus closing the line through the lampv and breaking it between the posts, with the same effect as already described in reference to Fig. 1.

In Figs. 4 and 5 it may be noted that the loops 0 and the base-plates e are formed integral out of one piece of sheetmetahwhereas in Fig. 1 the loops and base-plate are cast in one piece; but the loops may be made separate and riveted or secured in. the base-plate, if desired, either construction being used, as preferred.

In 7, 8, and 9 is shown another form of hanger-board for indoor use. In this case the base-board is formed of an upper and lower layer, a and a, of circular form, secured together with a space between in which is ar ranged the switch mechanism, the hangerloops, with their springs, 850., being entirely omitted. In this case the lamp is suspended centrally from a central hook, p, depending from the middle of the under board, and the binding-posts of the lamp are connected by wires *1 0', which pass through holes in the lower board, a, and connect one to the binding-post g and the other to the seats I; and k. The seats is and la are connected together, and one of the line-wires connect to the seats k k and the other runs to the binding-post g, as best shown in Fig. '7. The two switchbars h h are connected by a non-conducting link or cross-bar, '1', which extends centrally or diametrically of the circular board, and is prolonged beyond the switch-bars and protrudes for manipulation at each end from between the inner and outer layers of the board, as shown best in Fig. 9. Cords or wires 8, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9, may be attached to each end of the bar 1' and be run to any desired point from which it is desired to operate the switch; or a cord, 2 may be secured at the middle to the bar 2' and run over pulleys 2" at each end, and be secured to pendent pulls or tassels u, by which the switch may be shifted in either direction, as will be readily understood from Figs. 7 and 9. The words On and Off are inscribed on each end of the operating-bar '2', so that either will show over the edge of the under board, (1., when the bar is shifted in the appropriate direction, thus indicating the condition of the switch and guiding the operator in manipulating the same. It will therefore be seen that when the switch is shifted in the On position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 7, the lamp will be put in circuit and the current will flow from the line-wire to post 9, and by bar it and seat It by wire 0" to the lamp, and from lamp by wire '7' to post g, and thence by bar h and seat It to the other line-wire, thus completing the circuit through the lamp. On the other hand, when the switch is put in the Off position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. '7, the connection between the line-wires will be closed before the connection with the lamp is broken, and the current will then flow from the post g directly by the bar 7t and seats 70 is to the opposite line-wire, as will be readily understood on reference to Fig. 7.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a hanger-board for electric lamps, the combination, with conducting suspension eyes or loops in connection with the terminals of the circuit, of conducting-springs, also in connection with the terminals of the circuit, adapted to press into the loops, with polar hooks or suspenders on the lamp adapted to engage between the loops and the springs, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a hanger-board, a suspension device formed of a base-plate, 6, loop 0, and spring f, both the loop and spring being in metallic contact with the base-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES J. 'OOD.

'Witncsses:

JXO. E. GAVIN, CHAS. M. HIGGINS. 

